Costume jewelry



Sept. 18, 1956 A,s1 0v|TT 2,763,079

COSTUME EWELRY Filed April l, 1955 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O "ice COSTUME JEWELRY Abraham Slovitt, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to B. Steinberg Kaslo C0., New York, N. Y., a firm Application April 1, 1955, Serial No. 498,685

3 Claims. (Cl. 4110) This invention relates to ornamental devices such as costume jewelry and to a method of making same.

An object of this invention is to provide pieces for personal adornment, such as clips, brooches, medallions and the like, which are formed fromlacquered base metal members, selected ornamental motifs thereon being highlighted and enhanced by the use of small glass particles or beads selectively located within the lacquered coatings.

Another object of this invention is to provide ornamental devices of selected configuration bearing ornamental motifs in contrasting or harmonizing colors, the color effects being toned and otherwise modified by a layer of small glass beads overlying the color bearing layers.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of producing ornamental effects on pieces of costume jewelry and the like, wherein successive lacquer coatings are applied to a metal base, the color of the several coatings being selected and coordinated to achieve a desired ornamental motif and a layer of small glass beads being applied to overlie the colored coatings whereby the overall ornamental effect is toned and enhanced by providing a velvety finish to the article.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a piece of costume jewelry embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view thereof, showing the successive lacquer coatings on the metal base.

The ornamental pieces of the instant invention may take the form of costume jewelry, such as pins, clips, brooches and the like, and comprise a metal base having the desired configuration consonant with a selected ornamental motif. Such metal base may be initially colored as by applying a very thin gold or silver plating to all surfaces thereof, in a manner well known in the art. Thereafter, a plurality of successive coatings of lacquer is applied to one surface of the metal base. Selected layers of the lacquer include colors which are coordinated to achieve the desired motif and color effect. The outermost lacquer coatings are transparent and colorless, such coatings have embedded therein a layer of very small glass beads of a selected size or selected sizes, said layer having the effect of toning and enhancing the appearance of the color motif and providing a velvety or soft texture to the article or piece of jewelry.

As shown in Fig. l, designates a piece of ornamental jewelry embodying the invention. For the purpose of illustration, the piece is in the form of a pin; it being understood that other configurations may be used, as desired. Jewelers base metal alloy, such as white metal or other known alloys, is formed to the desired configuration, by casting, molding, blanking or other procedures known in the art. A conventional pin and catch assembly, generally indicated at 12, is secured to the underside of the base 11. The upper surface of base 11 may be formed with a medial raised rib portion 13 with 2,763,079 Patented Sept. 18, 1956 2 a rprojecting stem portion 14. The rib portion 13 may be formed with successive recesses v15 to receive ornamental stonesor gems, not shown.

The base 11 and attached pin assembly 12 maybe initially covered with a very thin gold plating to color all surfaces thereof. Alternatively, a silver plating may Vbe applied'. Such platings may be applied by means of the vacuum deposit or other known procedures.

There is now applied to the upper surface of the plated base 11, a first layer or coating of lacquer having the usual cellulose or resin base. Such layer 16 includes an opacifying pigment of light color, preferably white or cream. The layer 16 may be brushed on or otherwise applied to the base 11 and over the entire upper surface thereof. The coating 16 is permitted to dry, either at room temperature or by forced, warm air drying means.

A second layer or coating 17 of transparent, colored lacquer is applied over the layer 16, by brushing, or the like, and allowed to dry. A third layer or coating 18 of shading lacquer is applied to selected portions of the layer 17. The lacquer layer 18 including a shading pigment which is in contrast to the background color of layer 16 or in harmony therewith. As shown in Fig. 1, layer 18 is applied to the marginal edges of the base 11 in order to carry out the leaf motif and the color thereof may be brown.

When the shading lacquer 18 has dried, there is brushed on, or otherwise applied a coating 19 of transparent, colorless lacquer over the entire upper surface of the base member. When layer or coating 19 is only partially dried, and still tacky, glass beads 20 are distributed over the said tacky layer. The beads 20 are quite small in size, being of the order of #10 as known in the art. A final, cover layer 21 of transparent, colorless lacquer is then applied over and/or around the glass beads, and allowed to dry. If the final layer 21 is thin, the lacquer will flow around the glass beads, as shown in Fig. 2. If it is thicker, it will entirely cover the glass beads.

The finished article exhibits unusual and distinctive ornamental effects which are clearly distinguishable from conventional lacquered effects. Thus, the contrasting or harmonious colors in the several lacquer layers are toned and enhanced by the layer of glass beads, giving a rich velvety appearance to the piece as a whole. The top covering layer 21 of lacquer not only protects the glass beads but also softens the optical effects thereof.

While glass beads of the #10 size are preferred, it has been found that glass beads of sizes #9 and #Il may also be used or a mixture of sizes of beads ranging in sizes from #9 to #11, with good ornamental effects derived therefrom.

It is understood, that as the configuration of the base member is changed, and the correlated color motif is modified, the colors in the several lacquer layers may also be changed accordingly. Also, the shading lacquer coating will be applied only to those portions of the base member as may be necessary to achieve the desired contrast and shading effects in respect to the base colored lacquer layer 16.

I claim:

1. Costume jewelry comprising a metal base member, a plurality of successive lacquer coatings applied to one surface of said member, the first of said coatings adhering to said member including a white opacifying pigment, the second coating being colored and transparent, the third of said coatings being applied to selected portions of said member and including a pigment of a color contrasting with that of said first coating, the fourth and fifth coatings being transparent and colorless, and a layer of small glass particles distributed between said fourth and fifth coatings, said glass particles toning and enhancing the underlying colored coatings.

, 3 4 Y 2. Costume jewelry as in claim 1, wherein said glass ings being colorless and transparent, and a layer of small particles are #10 glass beads. sized glass beads in said outermost coatings and extending 3. Costume jewelry comprising a plated metal base over the entire surface of said member. member of determined coniguration, a plurality of successive lacquer coatings on one surface of said member, 5 References Cited in the le of this patent the innermost coating including an opacifying pigment, UNITED STATES PATENTS an intermediate coating including a pigment of a color in contrast with that of said innermost coating, and said 23791741 Palmqmst July 3 1945 intermediate coating being confined to and overlying only 2,607,130 Pearson Aug' 191 1952 portions of said innermost coating, the outermost coat- 10 

